Real Estate News: Is It Time for D.C. to Grow Up?

House of the Day: This restored Queen Anne Victorian in California has persevered through the aftermath of a century-old killing, the 1989 earthquake and rumors of being haunted. Today, the owners say it exudes benevolent energy.

Here is a look at real-estate news from the holiday weekend and today in the WSJ:

Is It Time for D.C. to Grow Up?: Facing the demands of a growing population and business district, the nation’s capital is reconsidering a height limit on buildings that has defined the low-slung city.

Getting the Best Refinancing Deal: There has never been a better time to refinance your mortgage. Rates are at record lows. The government is devising new programs to help homeowners. The economy and job market are improving, albeit slowly.

U.S. Home Prices Stuck At Low Levels: U.S. home prices ended the first quarter at the lowest levels since the housing crisis began in mid-2006, according to Standard & Poor’s Case-Shiller home-price indexes.

House of the Day: This restored Queen Anne Victorian in California has persevered through the aftermath of a century-old killing, the 1989 earthquake and rumors of being haunted. Today, the owners say it exudes benevolent energy.

Europe House of the Day: Believed to date back to 1750, this refurbished six-bedroom home in southwest England includes a two-bedroom cottage and stone barn.

Housing Pieces Delayed: The promise of more than 4,000 units of low- and middle-income housing was a significant selling point for two of the city’s largest new developments, Atlantic Yards in Brooklyn and Willets Point in Queens. Today, they are moving forward, but the housing pieces have been pushed back for years behind other portions of the multibillion-dollar projects.

Plot Twists: The Drama of Rising Rents: The plot is taking a dire turn for many small theaters in New York which are having trouble keeping their homes because landlords are finding it more lucrative to convert buildings into stores, apartments or other commercial uses.

Express to Times Square: Express Inc., the Midwestern fashion brand that has been searching for a foothold in Times Square, has walked away from a deal to lease the former ESPN Zone space in Times Square and picked a different location instead, according to people familiar with the matter.

Drilling Ban Hits Leases: For years, thousands of people in Binghampton, N.Y., signed leases to permit natural-gas drilling on their property.Now, hundreds are suing to get out of those leases, contending the contracts’ time limits have expired and are undervalued.